2008 Woodie Awards
E-mail loan scams affecting students, faculty
By Amie Rodriguez
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News
Students across the country have been receiving e-mails asking them to sign up for loans, but many students do not know that a lot of the e-mails are scams.
"I refuse to open those e-mails unless I know who they are coming from," exercise science major Alex Shafer, 22, said. "I also refuse to give out any of my information."
A lot of students open these e-mails and continue to give their information out, but doing so can result in identity theft.
Though it is mostly college students getting the e-mails, it is also occurring to faculty members. Patty Hladio, SRU's director of financial aid, has a few ideas about how lenders are getting student and faculty information.
SRU's online student directory is a credible source for e-mails, as the public can access it by logging on to the SRU Web site.
Faculty members agree this is one popular way that scammers or lenders are getting the information of faculty members and students.
One of the best ways for a student to get loan information is to go to the financial aid office. At the financial aid office, they have a full staff that can help you determine good loan options for students, she said.
"We like to have the opportunity to help a student," Hladio said.
At the Office of Financial Aid, the staff can provide students with the questions they should ask potential lenders. They can also provide students with a list of the top lenders available and will walk them through the process step-by-step.
Hladio said that the Office of Financial Aid can also show students various alternative loans, which are the loans that a student might take out to help pay for rent or other things, such as costly books.
"Instead of taking out additional loans, I work on campus through work study and I make the money I need to pay for my books," said Heather Cypher, a 20-year-old elementary special education major.
As soon as students and faculty click on the e-mails from lenders they can be opening the possibly of identity theft.
Applying for these, Hladio said, "is so unwise and dangerous."
"I just delete anything that has to do with money," said secondary education English major Jeffry Richards, 20, "You can't trust e-mails unless they're from a credible source."
Students may also get e-mails from organizations such as the Gap.
The Gap might be advertising a sweepstakes of some kind, and while the source is known, Hladio says, students still shouldn't reply to the e-mail. She suggested that you visit the business's Web site first and look into it further.
Hladio also suggests that if a returning student is looking for "free money," they can apply for a variety of scholarships online just by going to the Financial Aid Web site.
"I refuse to open those e-mails unless I know who they are coming from," exercise science major Alex Shafer, 22, said. "I also refuse to give out any of my information."
A lot of students open these e-mails and continue to give their information out, but doing so can result in identity theft.
Though it is mostly college students getting the e-mails, it is also occurring to faculty members. Patty Hladio, SRU's director of financial aid, has a few ideas about how lenders are getting student and faculty information.
SRU's online student directory is a credible source for e-mails, as the public can access it by logging on to the SRU Web site.
Faculty members agree this is one popular way that scammers or lenders are getting the information of faculty members and students.
One of the best ways for a student to get loan information is to go to the financial aid office. At the financial aid office, they have a full staff that can help you determine good loan options for students, she said.
"We like to have the opportunity to help a student," Hladio said.
At the Office of Financial Aid, the staff can provide students with the questions they should ask potential lenders. They can also provide students with a list of the top lenders available and will walk them through the process step-by-step.
Hladio said that the Office of Financial Aid can also show students various alternative loans, which are the loans that a student might take out to help pay for rent or other things, such as costly books.
"Instead of taking out additional loans, I work on campus through work study and I make the money I need to pay for my books," said Heather Cypher, a 20-year-old elementary special education major.
As soon as students and faculty click on the e-mails from lenders they can be opening the possibly of identity theft.
Applying for these, Hladio said, "is so unwise and dangerous."
"I just delete anything that has to do with money," said secondary education English major Jeffry Richards, 20, "You can't trust e-mails unless they're from a credible source."
Students may also get e-mails from organizations such as the Gap.
The Gap might be advertising a sweepstakes of some kind, and while the source is known, Hladio says, students still shouldn't reply to the e-mail. She suggested that you visit the business's Web site first and look into it further.
Hladio also suggests that if a returning student is looking for "free money," they can apply for a variety of scholarships online just by going to the Financial Aid Web site.
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